Random thoughts on the direcotry, and ease thereof.

UnOrthOdOx · September 21, 2002, 13:08

The purpose of this thread:

Maintaining the directory is a huge job, ada I am sure will agree. Perhaps too much for one person.

Random ideas to help it:

1st, generic idea. Create an elected position, or include it as part of the executive's responsibilities. This will bring an amount of prestige and honorto the job.

2nd, more unusual idea. Have it be the job of several people. Executives, and a sperate person. With three people responsible for finding threads, should speed things along.

3rd, highly...unorthodox idea. Create an account dedicated to the directory. The password for such account will be changed each term, and will be passed between the Executive branch AND the elected person in charge of the directory. This will allow three people to actually edit the thread. It should be brought before the mods first, of course, and be placed to a vote of the populace. This account should never be used for voting, and perhaps some system of checking could be implimented as thre people would have access and could check if any polls had been voted uponl.

4th, generic idea. Require ministers, executves, and judges to inform the person in charge each time they create a new thread or poll. This can be done in a thread to be created or via PM...

adaMada · September 22, 2002, 09:00

My thoughts...
(Sorry for not getting back sooner, I saw this, didn't have time to reply, assumed I'd just 'do it later', and then it fell off the front page).

Idea 1: Would work, but it might prevent willing volunteers from doing the position if they had other plans. I wouldn't be against the idea because of it -- if it was an actual 'position', it'd probably have someone in the job every time.

Idea 2: I could see this going two ways. One, have one person responsible for adding threads that are PMmed to him/her, and having other people responsible for PMming threads. Might cause a lot of overlap though.

Idea 3: Very interesting idea

. I'm not sure that there are many advantages to it, though, especially considering that you'd have to log in and out every time you wanted to update the directory -- it might wind up being a bigger pain.

Idea 4: That would work, and would be nice. Another way of doing this would be requiring each minister to post their own section in the directory (using the format supplied by the President), and keep it updated themselves. I don't think this would work, however, as the quality of the overall directory would depend on the individual ministers, and the directory as a whole would probably not be consistant.

-- adaMada

Shiber · September 22, 2002, 10:45

I like all four of your ideas. You truly have an unorthodox mind.

Aro · September 22, 2002, 10:54

I like all four ideas, but the first is my preferred.

DAVOUT · September 22, 2002, 18:33

The burden could be partially delegated to the academies and intitutes which are presently maintaining a table of all threads opened under their name.

This would require that the threads authors title their threads more systematically with the name of the academy (or institute or guild or foundation), and that the secretaries of the academies start to classify the threads by subjects.

We could also, to draw the attention of the guy in charge of the directory, use more intensively the rating of the threads, and decide that it must be used only for that : indicating a desire to see the thread in the Directory.

UnOrthOdOx · September 23, 2002, 09:42

Quote:

Originally posted by adaMada
Idea 3: Very interesting idea

. I'm not sure that there are many advantages to it, though, especially considering that you'd have to log in and out every time you wanted to update the directory -- it might wind up being a bigger pain.

Idea 4: That would work, and would be nice. Another way of doing this would be requiring each minister to post their own section in the directory (using the format supplied by the President), and keep it updated themselves. I don't think this would work, however, as the quality of the overall directory would depend on the individual ministers, and the directory as a whole would probably not be consistant.

-- adaMada

Re 3: I can see how that might become a pain, but I don't see any other way of maintaining the thread should, say, you loose your connection for a week. It would provide a backup to the position in a way that nothing else could. It would also create a stable directory with the password being passed down, but the directory remaining, not created each term.

Re 4: Having Ministers maintain their own section. I REALLY like that idea. Each minister, or a deputy, be in charge of their own section. Failure to do so would likely result in no re-election. Executive branch (or appointed deputy of directory) just maintain the polls and such in the first section...We should try to put this into effect next term for a trial run. Bring it up in the Const. Conv. as well.

BigFurryMonster · September 23, 2002, 09:55

Ad 4: Simple. If the ministers do not update the Directory Thread, no one will be able to find their information.

adaMada · September 24, 2002, 17:46

UnOrthO Re: idea 3:
Right now, there is no other way of maintaining the thread should the primary person decide that they've had enough, or have to go away, or loose their net connection, true. I've been thinking a lot about ease of directory creation, though, and my strat (for now) will be to add stuff as I see it -- this'd be a lot harder if I had to switch accounts every time I had to add something. Of course, I could probably update my given part only once a week if I had other people to share the responsibility with, so there clearly are advantages.

UnOrthO and BigFurryMonster Re: idea 4.
I agree; it'd be awsome if the Ministers would do it.

Having said that, I think it's a given that there'll always be some who won't (dispite best intentions).

Re: specifically what BFM said, I plan to make that arguement to push people to submit threads they create for me -- it's basically free advertising and a permanant link to their thread being kept on record.

-- adaMada

Sheik · September 24, 2002, 17:52

Quote:

Create an elected position

I would go with create elected positions. These people would only focus on this and we could even forbid them from holding another position for the time they are doing this that way they don't get distracted.

adaMada · September 24, 2002, 17:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Sheik

I would go with create elected positions. These people would only focus on this and we could even forbid them from holding another position for the time they are doing this that way they don't get distracted.

I'm concerned that no one would run for such a position -- right now, it's not a terribly glamourous job (though important), and a lot of the people who might be able to do it are also the people who'll want to be doing other things. Though we might be able to find some old retired people *cough UnorthO cough

* who've done their thing in gov't and are taking some time off and who'd be willing to do a smaller job such as this one...

-- adaMada

Sheik · September 24, 2002, 18:06

Good point. Maybe people wouldn't run (I know I wouldn't). UnorthO is perfect for the job.

UnOrthOdOx · September 24, 2002, 21:23

ada, what is your schedule for NEXT term. Perhaps we can try out the logon?

adaMada · September 24, 2002, 21:48

Dunno exactly what I'll be doing next term -- it's always a busy time, as all Teachers go into overdrive right before Christmas Break, and I'm thinking about taking on one or two larger responsibilities within the Demogame if things are looking good, but for a smaller responsibility such as the Directory -- I could probably at least help out.

Think Markos'll ever approve an extra login? He's supportive, but doesn't seem to like the idea of any special exceptions for the Demogame...

-- adaMada